Georgia’s Old Capital Heritage Center at The Depot, Inc. opened the doors to the 1825 Brown-Stetson-Sanford House on Dec. 9 to allow community members to take a peek at what Christmas looked like for the historic home.
In 1825, George Anderson Brown, a local planter and doctor of Milledgeville, engaged a master English builder, John Marlor, to build an inn. Marlor designed the inn in his signature Milledgeville Federal Style.
The inn was initially built on North Wilkinson Street, where the Baldwin County Courthouse is today. It was initially called “The Beecher and Brown Tavern” because Brown ran it with his son-in-law, Samuel Beecher. The inn offered accommodations for out-of-town legislators, particularly those of the Whig Party.
After Brown died in 1837, his son John continued the partnership and reopened the inn as the “States’ Rights Hotel. " The hotel would become the headquarters of the Whig Party until the late 1840s.
In 1857, the inn was bought by Daniel B. Stetson as a family residence. During his time at home, his wife gave birth to three children: Elizabeth, William Spivey, and James Daniel. After her father’s death, Elizabeth married Daniel Benjamin Sanford, a former Confederate officer and local attorney. She would remain in the house while her husband joined James in their father’s mercantile business. Thus, the home is referred to as the Brown-Stetson-Sanford House.
In 2012, the home was transformed into a museum that reflects life in Milledgeville from 1857 to 1890. In addition to the museum, the house hosts many educational tours and may be used as a venue for weddings, civic and social club meetings, and more.
According to GOCHC Executive Director Amy Wright, the home was pivotal in the local preservation movement and the creation of the Downtown Historic District.
“In 1966, when the house was about to be demolished, it was saved by the Old Capitol Historical Society. The decision launched a movement for the community to find other locations to preserve,” said Wright.
Decorated with wreaths, candlelight, mannequins dressed in winter clothes, Christmas trees, and more, the home was exuberant. Three volunteers with the center were dressed in historical clothes and offered tours to visitors, answering questions and retelling the home's history. One volunteer sang downstairs to the tunes played by the Baldwin High School sax ensemble on the front porch.
“We’ve created a very cheery atmosphere but one that also takes you back into history through sights and sounds,” said Jessica Whitehead, GOCHC board chair.
Among the rooms of the home were Christmas scenes in storybook boxes. Some featured Santa, the tale of The Christmas Carol, a Thanksgiving dinner, and more from the Miniature World of Cathrine Rowe exhibit. In addition, Rowe’s dollhouse was open and on display for visitors in the upstairs hallway. Many took the opportunity to shine flashlights inside and observe the tiny details.
“The dollhouse is a wonderful sight,” Wanda Millians, GOCHC board member and chairperson of the Brown-Stetson-Sanford House committee, told a few visitors as she offered them a peek inside during her tour as a woman of the house. “The tiny details to each room, the history inside. Who wouldn’t be piqued by the mystery?”
The event was free to the public and also served as an opportunity to donate to GOCHC and its current projects. Any donations collected at the event will be used toward the Depot Project, which will turn the Central State Hospital Depot into a Heritage Center repairing the Brown-Stetson-Sanford House and future events hosted by the organization. To donate to the organization, visit https:// thedepotga.org.
“The home is full of history and importance,” said Millais. “It’s important for us to remember where we came from and put that history to memory.”